Midlands punk trio MC16 release a new single this week ahead of their debut full-length album proper.
The band believe music should challenge, confront, question and entertain, and they play a short, sharp shock take on classic punk rock.
They released their debut EP Outvoted By Robots (reviewed here) in 2019, with a mini-album … No Blood No Guilt collecting all their early releases in 2022.
Decent Pubs And Murder was the first taste of their new material in May 2023, and they released One From Another four months later, and Data Donors at the end of the year.
New songs
2024 saw two more tracks, Polytechnic, in February and Shoot ‘Em Up in September. Now they’re back with Ground Control, taken from their first full-length, Machine Code, which will be self-released on February 14.
It sees the trio at their most fiery, with a strident vocal, searing guitar, fuzzy bassline and pounding drums, and it’s a mouth-watering taste of what the album has in store.
Bassist Quinn explains: “Ground Control is basically what the internet has become. People are told not to trust the government, don’t trust mass media, don’t trust the police, doctors, even each other, and we should question anything they say or just call it a lie.
“However, if it’s a complete stranger posting something online then we are told to believe it, it must be true – no smoke without fire and all that.”
Drummer Duffy adds: “Social commentators have more followers than credible media, so because of that they are being afforded more sway and influence now on public opinion and sentiment, and people take what they say at face value. No fact checking going on.
“Similarly, if about three people share the same opinion on social media then it’s being interpreted as being the nation’s opinion. It’s very scary!”
Fake AI
“And then if you add fake AI on top of all that, then who knows where we are heading?” concludes guitarist/vocalist Carson.
Ground Control was recorded with Dave Draper (The Wildhearts, The Professionals) at the Old Cider Press Studios in Worcestershire, with the video once again created by Hutch Films.
The single will be available on all digital streaming services from January 17 and via the band’s Bandcamp page HERE. Check out their back catalogue while you’re there. It’s well worth a listen.
